Although my life came to a standstill more than once in February, I’ve since been playing a bit of catch up as we head into the first days of March- and that includes keeping up with things here at Coffee & Chiffon. As is tradition near the end of every month throughout what feels like a lifetime of blogging, I like to share my favorite things/purchases/odds & ends- and although this past week has been a brutal one- I did have *some* things that made the list that I wanted to talk about in an attempt to return to some semblance of normalcy and routine.

I’ll still have my full recap of February- the good and the bad- up within the next couple of days, but I thought I’d keep things light and simple today with some retail therapy, some beauty finds, an organizational lifesaver, and some Netflix binges that got me through this past month.

Here were some of my favorite things for February 2020.

I’m very picky about the styling products I put in my hair. With naturally thick and often unruly curls- many creams/lotions/mousses/etc. geared towards curly hair have left my locks crunchy, sticky, or looking/feeling dried out. It’s the worst- which is why I have a select few products I actually use regularly and rarely break out of my established hair care comfort zone.

In February, when my local Ulta was out of my usual product- I reluctantly turned to Cake’s “The Curl Friend” although I wasn’t expecting desirable results.

I was left pleasantly surprised, however. Not only does this lightweight lotion (that smells like cake batter!) fight frizz and smooth my curls- but it dries to a soft, touchable finish. There’s no weird residue, no crunchiness, and my hair doesn’t feel or look parched. I’m hooked.

Additionally, with 2020 being the year I vowed to take better care of myself physically, emotionally and mentally (although February definitely tested that resolution-) I have been making switches to healthier alternatives in my daily routine- including cutting out deodorants with harmful chemicals. I have been living for this coconut-scented vegan deodorant stick from Love Beauty and Planet lately– which is aluminum-free and doesn’t have alcohol in it- which means my underarms stay soft and comfortable all day long.

I’ve done plenty of crying throughout February, and I’m sure it’ll continue into March when allergy season starts up. My eyes get super red super easily, and I’ve found that standard eye drops rarely do the trick after I’ve had a decent sob session.

A couple of weeks ago I splurged and bought a bottle of the new LUMIFY eye drops I’ve seen advertised everywhere– desperate for some relief- and I was actually pretty stunned at the results. Not only did any and all redness in my eyes disappear in about 20 seconds after I first used the drops- but the whites were actually brighter, too. There’s no stinging sensation, no weird side effects, no excessive watering of the eyes like some other drops/brands can cause. Just a couple of drops and you’re good to go for about eight hours.

I’ve still been using this perfume and lotion daily, since we’re not completely out of the clear yet when it comes to snowy and cold weather. I’m still hooked on the scent- which is heavy and sensual and perfect for these final days of bundling up in multiple layers.

I’m going to have to find a new fragrance for the Spring, though.

And finally, with the last month being pretty chaotic for me- sometimes it felt hard to stay on top of my schedule. Meetings, deadlines, tasks and priorities would have easily been lost in the shuffle if it wasn’t for this very pretty weekly planner from Eccolo I’ve kept close to my chest.

With big spaces to write in, breakdowns of weeks/months and sections to write in goals and reminders- I’ve been able to stay on top of things despite my world being turned upside down in recent weeks.

I take this with me everywhere- and would truly be lost without it.

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That’s all I’ve got for the things I could snap photos of- but a few other things made the list, too.

– Movies/Music/Television –

Tame Impala – “The Slow Rush” – If there was ever something to get me through a challenging Valentine’s Day, it was the release of Tame Impala’s latest studio album. With dance-able singles being dropped months ahead of time leading up to the album’s debut- I was excited to finally hear the whole thing in it’s entirety.

And I haven’t been disappointed. There’s a lot of really great, fun tracks on “The Slow Rush” and I have a feeling it’s going to sound even better when I’m able to crank it with my car windows down when I’m on the West Coast in a couple of weeks.

“The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez” – This limited docuseries on Netflix is NOT for the faint of heart as it deals with the horrific details surrounding the absolute worst case of child abuse that resulted in the death of an eight year old Californian boy in 2013- but the series shines a light on a broken system that is in major need of restructuring when it comes to prioritizing help for endangered children and holding dangerous parents/caretakers accountable.

As heart-wrenching a watch it is- it needs to be seen.

I think that sums up pretty much everything from February that got me through the good days- and the bad ones, too. I’ve already got a few things lined up for my list in March- so I’m excited to share that soon!